First methanol-to-olefins unit starts in China

(plastemart) -- The world's first methanol-to-olefins unit to be operated on a commercial scale has started up in China. The plant using the combined DMTO methanol-to-olefins technology of SYN Energy Technology Co. Ltd. and Lummus Technology has successfully started-up in Baotou, China. The plant is owned by China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical Company Ltd.


The breakthrough technology enables licensees to produce olefins (ethylene and propylene) from methanol. The plant is designed to produce 600,000 tpa of olefins from methanol. On spec ethylene and propylene product were achieved less than 72 hours after methanol was introduced to the unit.

MRC

Dow, Saudi Aramco finalize plans for Al-Jubail Petrochemical Complex

(plastemart) -- Saudi Aramco, state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, and the Houston, Texas, offices of Dow Chemical Company are moving ahead with plans to construct a petrochemical complex in Saudi Arabia. Originally planned for Ras Tanura, which is approximately 400 kms northwest of Riyad, Saudi Aramco and Dow decided to move the project to Al-Jubail for financial reasons. The new site, about 30 kms north of Ras Tanura, is far more developed because of the site's close proximity to Al Jubail Industrial City, which was established in 1975.


Dow and Saudi Aramco, signed a memorandum of understanding in May of 2007, and originally planned to feature two naphtha crackers to be designed by Technip (Paris, France) at the ethylene-based complex, but the idea was deemed overly ambitious, and one of the crackers was scrapped. Nevertheless, development of the Al-Jubail Petrochemical Complex is still on track. Dow and Saudi Aramco have signed contracts with other engineering firms to be involved in the project. In July of 2007, the two companies selected KBR Incorporated as the project management contractor, while earlier this year, the Houston, Texas, office of Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated was selected to provide Saudi Aramco with program management services for several onshore projects, including the US$7 bln-plus Al-Jubail Petrochemical Complex.

You can discuss that with Dow's CEO in CIS and Eastern Europe at "Russian Polymers Summit - 2010" international conference organized by ICIS and MRC. For more information please refer to http://www.polymersummit.ru/ conference official web page.

MRC

Formosa to restart residue processing unit at Mailiao Refinery

(plastemart) -- Formosa Petrochemical Corp. plans to restart a residue processing unit that was shut Sept. 2 at its Mailiao refining complex. A suspected flaw in piping design at the 80,500 bpd No. 1 residue desulfurization unit is being corrected. Formosa halted its 80,500 bpd No. 2 residue desulfurization unit after a fire on July 25. The Mailiao refinery has three crude distillation units, each able to process 180,000 bpd. Formosa Petrochemical shut the 540,000 bps refinery for safety reasons after an oil leak triggered a blaze at the No. 2 residue desulfurization unit. The company is using about one-third of its crude refining capacity, with one crude unit still shut and the other two running at half capacity.

MRC

Petronas plans capacity expansion

(plastemart) -- Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (PCGB), the soon-to-be-listed petrochemicals arm of Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), plans to grow by expansion of production capacity and selective acquisitions in the mid-to-long term.


PCGB, one of the largest petrochemicals producer in Southeast Asia, said in its draft prospectus, "In the medium to longer term, we will look to expand our product portfolio and production capacity - including through the development of new production plants using gas and alternate types of feedstock - as well as potentially synergistic and prudent acquisitions to pursue growth. Opportunities outside Malaysia could also be considered.
PCGB is currently considering expanding its operations in Sabah and Sarawak to develop a world-scale greenfield ammonia and urea plant to take advantage of the natural gas feedstock available in that region. PCGB also expects to get more closely involved with a greenfield project that Petronas is currently evaluating - to develop an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex in Peninsular Malaysia, with international partners.

MRC

Total Petrochemicals refinery production disrupted by French strike

(Bloomberg) -- French workers reduced output at Electricite de France SA's nuclear reactors and Total SA refineries as part of a nationwide strike over a government plan to increase the retirement age.

The walkout led to a 5,000-megawatt decrease in nuclear output from EDF reactors, according to CGT union spokeswoman Marie-Claire Cailletaud. Refinery output at Total's French plants is dropping to ⌠minimum levels, company spokesman Michael Crochet-Vourey said. Shipments have been blocked at all plants except Feyzin in the Rhone Valley, he said.

Total management and the CGT union are locked in a legal battle over the idling a year ago of the Flanders refinery near Dunkirk, which the company plans to dismantle. Closure of the refinery triggered a week-long strike in February that led to fuel shortages. Total, Europe's biggest refiner, has five other refineries in France including Gonfreville in Normandy, the largest, Donges, Feyzin, Provence and Grandpuits.

MRC